Former Sedgwick County commissioner Skelton files independent bid to regain office

An attempted political comeback advanced Friday when former Sedgwick County commissioner Jim Skelton filed his petition to run as independent candidate for his former seat.

If he has enough signatures , he'll be on the ballot for the November general election against incumbent Jim Howell.

Skelton served a four-year term on the commission as a Republican, but decided not to seek re-election in 2014, citing health issues from a leg injury that he says have now been resolved.

On Friday, he turned in 234 pages of signatures with about 3,300 names. He needs 2,211 valid signatures from voters in the county's commission District 5 to make it onto the ballot. He said he's confident that he has enough.

The election commissioner's office will count the petition signatures and in a few days announce whether Skelton has qualified.

The district includes most of southeast Wichita and swings down through Oaklawn, Derby and the Sedgwick County precincts in Mulvane.

Before serving on the county commission, Skelton represented south Wichita on the City Council for 5 1/2 years.

Howell, a Republican, served in the Kansas Legislature from 2011 to 2014 when he decided to run for county commission. He's coming up on the completion of his first term.

Although it's a lower level of government, a seat on the commission is considered a political promotion from serving in the Legislature because it's a full-time job.